An Air Force Reserve Command F-16 crashed in the Florida straits about 75 miles south-southeast of Homestead ARB, Fla., around 11 a.m. on Monday. The pilot, assigned to AFRC’s 482nd Fighter Wing at Homestead, ejected safely. The Sun Sentinel reports that the Viper experienced a “mechanical problem” before it crashed into the water, and the Coast Guard rescued the pilot who was in a life raft. The Air Force did not immediately identify the pilot.
Airmen basic rarely go on to become four-star generals, but one who did retired last week after a 42 year career that saw him rise from a lowly slick-sleeve to the head of one of the Air Force’s most important major commands.